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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: nail · bass · lie · clip · chip · cue · march · squash

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a signal
  3. chip — for betting
  4. clip — to cut
  5. squash — the sport
  6. march — music
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bass — low music
  11. clip — for paper
  12. bass — the fish
  13. squash — to crush
  14. cue — a hint
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. clip — a video
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. march — the month
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. march — the month
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. nail — on a finger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com